Ben Shelton recently spoke up about how Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe inspired future generations of African Americans, including his father Bryan, to pursue professional tennis-playing careers. Shelton, currently participating in the 2025 US Open, got the chance to meet some of Gibson’s family members at Flushing Meadows, with this year’s edition of the hardcourt Major honoring the late five-time singles Slam champion.
Following his emphatic 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 first-round win over qualifier Ignacio Buse on Arthur Ashe Stadium on the first day of main draw action at the US Open this year, Shelton interacted with reporters at a press conference. Here, the 22-year-old made a stirring admission about Gibson and Ashe, saying:
“I think it’s huge. She (Althea Gibson) was, you know, the trailblazer for African Americans in tennis. You know, if it wasn’t for her, obviously, that’s who we’re honoring right now. And Arthur Ashe as well. The stadium’s named after him.”
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At a career-high ranking of World No. 6 right now, Ben Shelton went on to talk about his father and coach Bryan. According to Shelton, Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe were two of the most inspirational figures for Bryan, who established himself as a top 100 player in both singles and doubles during his playing days. The 22-year-old also reflected on meeting Gibson's family members ahead of his first-round match at the 2025 US Open.
"You know, who knows if my dad is ever playing tennis as a black kid in Alabama and in the 70s and 80s, you know, it still wasn't easy, obviously, but I think that they're the ones who made it possible. So, yeah, it was a great honor to kind of be on court with her family at the start of the match today and, you know, the nicest people ever. So, that was a cool experience and honor for me," he added.
"My dad always thought that he was in control of his own destiny" - Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton's father Bryan pursued tennis coaching after the end of his playing career, and made a significant mark as a coach at the University of Florida, where his son played under his tutelage as well. Bryan went on to become his son's full-time coach on the ATP Tour in 2023. Paying tribute to his father in the same press conference, Shelton said:
"I think that my dad has a great outlook on things, because as difficult as things were for him, he always thought that he was in control of his own destiny. He didn't want to handicap himself by thinking he was behind anyone else—whether it was getting into a great college and finishing a very difficult engineering degree, or being a professional tennis player."
Ben Shelton has grown from strength to strength since making his ATP Tour-level debut. In the buildup to the 2025 US Open, he won his maiden Masters 1000 title at the National Bank Open in Toronto. His next challenge at the 2025 US Open is a second-round clash against Pablo Carreno Busta from Spain.
